World History 173: The Foundation of Empires
Artifacts
Temüjin being proclaimed as Genghis Khan in 1206, as illustrated in a 15th-century Jami' al-tawarikh manuscript.
Genghis Khan proclaimed Khagan of all Mongols. White banners can be seen on the right. 15th-century ms. of Rashid al-Din's "History of the World" (BNF Supplément persan 1113, fol. 44v).
Click on the image to enlarge.
Platter with fish design Yuan dynasty, 14th century CE
Platter with fish design. Yuan dynasty, 14th century CE.
From Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province
Underglaze blue porcelain
For more information on this object. click HERE
Click on the image or link to enlarge
Geregee or Golden Paiza of Chinggis Khan
During the 13th and 14th centuries, travelers and messengers used geregee or paiza as a passport or document on the Mongol yam or postal route. Depending on the material and shape of the geregee, travelers had different privileges.
Click on the image or link to enlarge. For more information on this object, click HERE
Khublai Khan on the Hunt
Liu Guandao: Khubilai Khan on the Hunt, Chinese. Paint and ink on silk. Painted in 1280, now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei
Rumschlag (2018) states that Mongol military technology (stirrups and composite bows) played a significant role in their success.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Deeper Dives
Deeper Dives
- Who Were the Mongols?: Genghis Khan and The History of the Mongol Empire (30:00)presented by historian Craig Benjamin
- The Mongol Empire and the Unification of Eurasia
Kradin, Nikolay P., 'The Mongol Empire and the Unification of Eurasia', in Peter Fibiger Bang, C. A. Bayly, and Walter Scheidel (eds), The Oxford World History of Empire: Volume Two: The History of Empires, 2021, pp. 507-532.
- One Bow (or Stirrup) Is Not Equal to Another: A Comparative Look at Hun and Mongol Military Technologies (Rumschlag, 2018)The Silk Road, vol. 16 (2018): 78–90.
- Mongol Invasions of Japan - 1274 and 1281
The failure of the invasions gave rise to the notion of the "divine wind" or Kamikaze, although an exploration of the invasions reveals that the Japanese defeated the Mongols with little need of divine, or meteorological intervention.
**Interactive Maps & Interactive Invasion Scrolls**
Mongol Empire
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General Overviews
- What was life like under the Mongol empire?
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Society under Chinggis Khan and Expansion of the Empire
- Historia Tartarorum (ca. 1247)
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- Ibn al-Athir: Mongol invasions of the Near East (ca. 1230)
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Politics & Government
- Pax MongolicaThis site looks a bit shabby, but the text is from Daniel C. Waugh, a historian at the University of Washington.
- Marco Polo: on Kublai Khan's palace (1298)
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Economy / Trade
- Mongol Empire: Economic Life
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- Money in the Mongol Empire
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- Marco Polo: on paper money in China
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Religion & Philosophy
- Religious Beliefs in the Mongolian Empire
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- Immigrant Religions in Mongol China
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Technology & the Arts
- Mongol Writing Systems
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Decline & Legacy
- The Mongols in China: Beginnings of Mongol Collapse: Military Successes & Failures
Be sure to look at the following section on public works failures as well.
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